Dessert
by Elemglace
Summary: After the war, Hermione and Draco are living together...along with Harry, Ginny, Ron and Pansy. After Draco makes a scene at a party, all sorts of secrets from the past and present come awkwardly tumbling out. Very light HG and RP.
1. Conversations Over Food

**Breakfast.**

"Who has the milk?"

"Hey! Does someone have the cheerios?"

"Eggs don't go bad, do they?"

"I said, who has the milk?"

"Damn, we only have regular cheerios, I told you to get the honey nut."

"Do we have any ketchup left for the eggs?"

"Oh gross, Ginny."

"Hush big brother. Sorry about the cereal though, I forgot."

"Dammit, who the fuck has the milk?"

"I love ketchup on my eggs too Gin."

"Oh for Christ's sake, its too early."

"Hermione's up."

"I'm sorry Harry, but listening to you suck up to your girlfriend about how you both like your eggs the same way at six in the morning is—"

"Granger!"

"…what?"

"I-do you know where the milk is?"

"Do I look like I know where the fucking milk is Malfoy?

"I'm not sure, if you pull back your hair a little you might pass for a cow yourself."

"Good morning everyone!"

"Pansy, do you know where the damned milk is?"

"No Draco, I'm sorry to tell you that I do not."

"Hey babe, you were slow getting up this morning, I was afraid you were going to be late for work."

"Ron darling, I need not rush for any man."

"Not even if he is your boss?"

"Oh, good morning Hermione, did you sleep well last night?"

"If you consider listening to the two of you have sex in the room next to me a good night's rest, then yes, it was excellent, thank you."

"Heh."

"Heh what Malfoy?"

"You just sound a little bitter, your bedroom been quiet as of late?"

"My bedroom is none of you business."

"And thank god for that."

"Speaking of bedrooms, Malfoy, Gin and I didn't hear you go to bed last night."

"Oh, that's odd. I mean, because clearly I'm here."

Clank clank, pour, clank, ketchup squirting, clank, pour.

Chew.

"I'm sorry I was a fright just then Harry."

"Aw, its ok Herms, we know how you are before your coffee and toast."

"I just had a long night."

"Sorry Hermione, that was very rude of us."

"Oh, uh, its alright Pansy."

"Yeah, sorry Herms, we were just a little drunk last night and forgot there was someone in the room next to us."

"That's understandable, Granger is easy to forget."

"Yes, your constant desire to taunt me at every hour certainly proves I'm never on your mind."

"Well done, Hermione."

"Thank you Gin, how are the eggs?"

"Exquisite, thanks."

"Alright, I'm not joking, where is the milk?"

"_Accio skim milk_."

"Oh."

"Yeah, oh."

**Lunch.**

Hermione walked over to Ron and Harry at the lunch place around the corner from the ministry where the three of them always met during their break.

She saw, based on what was on the table, that they had ordered her a sandwich already. On most days, that probably would have annoyed her, but she was so tired after the night before, she was just happy should wouldn't have to walk to the counter.

"Hey Guys."

Harry looked up, smiling at something Ron had said, "Hey Hermione, how was your morning?"

Her only response was a grunt as she slid down into her seat.

Ron cracked up, "Herm, how much did you have to drink last night?"

Hermione smiled weakly and covered her face with her hands, "I don't remember."

Ron laughed even harder at that, while Harry tried to look concerned, though his smile was barely hidden.

Clearing his throat, Harry patted her shoulder. "What happened to that bloke you've been seeing? Why'd he take off? I never got to meet him."

Hermione kept her hands over her face. "I uh, I don't know."

Ron almost spit out the sip he had just taken from his drink, "You little lying trollop."

Harry raised his eyebrows, "Oh? Did something interesting happen?"

"If you consider Malfoy flipping a shit for some reason and punching the bloke in the face interesting, then yeah, something interesting happened."

Harry gaped, "What? Why? What the hell happened?"

Hermione groaned, "Can we please stop talking about this? He was just being drunk and Malfoy."

Ron grinned, "Oh, I think it was a little more than that. Malfoy, Pansy and I walked into the kitchen and Hermione was getting it on."

"Alright, getting it on is a huge exaggeration, we were kissing. Barely."

"Well, whatever, so we walk into the kitchen. And Malfoy turns completely red and says…crap, I don't remember what he said. What'd he say Hermione?"

"I don't remember."

Harry and Ron both rolled their eyes before Ron continued, "Well, he said something nasty to Hermione and the bloke steps up—"

"You know, 'the bloke's' name is Ryan, which you know perfectly well."

"Alright, Ryan. Ryan steps up in front of Malfoy and tells him to get the hell away from Hermione and not to speak to her like that."

Harry looked at Hermione, "Ryan sounds like a good one."

Ron spoke before Hermione had the chance to answer, "He seems nice, but not good enough for our girl."

Hermione glared at him before turning to speak to Harry, "Ryan is nice, though after last night I don't think it matters much."

Ron furrowed his eyebrows, "What do you mean? After Malfoy punched him and dragged him out of the house, you chased after Ryan."

Hermione sighed, "Yes, to be polite. Then we decided we would be better off as friends."

Harry raised his eyebrows and studied Hermione's face, not saying anything, before turning back to Ron to hear the rest of the story.

"Anyways. So the bloke stood up for Hermione, and Malfoy just goes really still for a second. Then he grabbed the guy by his shirt, punched him in the face and threw him out."

Harry looked away from Hermione after Ron stopped talking, "Was Ryan alright? Draco has a rough punch"

"Malfoy didn't hit him that hard, he was just being an ass," Hermione muttered.

Harry looked confused, "Where did Draco go after this happened? I asked him this morning when he went to bed; we can usually hear his door slam shut. He's not exactly one to tread lightly."

Ron shrugged, "That was the last I saw of him, Pansy dragged me away after the whole thing."

Harry turned to Hermione, "Do you know?"

Avoiding her two best friends' eyes, Hermione gathered up her bag, "Sorry, I have to get back, my boss didn't want me to take a long lunch today." She grabbed her half-eaten sandwich, "Thanks for getting me food."

**Dinner. **

Draco Malfoy had never been able to hold his liquor. He was a lightweight. An extreme lightweight. He'd deny it until he was, well, not so extremely pale in the face, but the truth was, he was an absolute little girl when it came to drinking.

So when Pansy had decided to get to the bottom of what happened last night with Draco, she decided that the best way to do that was through liquor, over dinner.

Pouring another large glass of wine, she began her interrogation, "So, did you tell her?"

Draco, who was currently hiding behind the large menu of the French restaurant he had taken Pansy to, snuck one hand out to retrieve his wine, before disappearing again. "No, leave me alone."

"Draco, don't be a bore, look at me."

Draco huffed before putting down his menu, "No, I didn't tell her. I certainly insinuated it though."

Pansy rolled her eyes, "Gryffindors don't understand insinuations; it usually takes a brick or two to get something through their stubborn skulls."

The waiter came over and Draco placed their orders in quick, but slightly slurred French.

"Well, she got this insinuation, trust me. Trust me Pansy. Trust me."

"Oh? I need details." Pansy stated, filling up his already half-gone glass of wine.

Draco looked uncomfortable for a second before answering, "I think I'm drunk."

"I think you are too."

"Well, I don't want to tell you anything then, it would be like you're taking advantage of me."

Pansy smirked a little, "Alright."

They sat in silence for a few seconds before Draco exploded, "I just don't understand what she's doing, bringing all these blokes around the house, going out to dinner all the time."

"Draco, I think that's called dating, something that she is completely entitled to do."

"Well, its stupid."

"Stupid?"

"Its stupid. And, she is acting like a horror. An Auror horror."

Pansy stayed silent. And gave him a touch more wine.

A few seconds later, Draco was whining again, "I just don't know what to do anymore, I've tried everything."

"Uh, you're actually rather beastly to her. All the time. Since we were eleven."

"I'm only beastly to her when she acts like a she-beast."

Pansy just stared at him.

Draco sighed, "I know. I know! I was so damned nervous this morning after what happened I forgot to just accio the damned milk. I mean, good god, what was I thinking? That I would make breakfast by hand?"

"It was cute."

"Draco Malfoy is not cute. Draco Malfoy is a snarky, strong and sarcastic non-cute man."

"Draco Malfoy is talking about himself in third person."

"Draco Malfoy deserves to talk about himself in third person."

"What does that even mean?"

"I don't know." Draco groaned, and dramatically buried his face in his hands.

Pansy studied her distraught friend for a moment before speaking, "Draco, you two fought a war together, we all did. She cares for you, and deeply at that."

Draco rolled his eyes, "I know that. I'm just hoping for a different sort of caring."

"Let me finish. Think about this. She's living in a room next to her first boyfriend and his fiancée; that has to be awkward for her. What reason would she have to do that?"

"She wants to be close to her friends."

"Oh please Draco, don't be dense, they're Aurors together and they have lunch every single day together. That's not the reason. And she's nowhere near poor, so it wasn't out of circumstances either."

"Psh."

"No, listen to me! Both of you have the means to move out, and are the only ones without someone in the house you're dating. She's staying for a reason. Maybe right after the war, it was to feel safe, but now she must be staying for a completely different reason."

Draco stared at his wine, "I don't know how to act around her when its not just the two of us, I just always feel like she's waiting for me to revert back to the racist I was before the three of them saved me from Voldemort."

Pansy raised her eyebrows, "So your plan is to what? Act like an open-minded ass? I don't think that's the way to go about making her feel more at ease."

"She does the same thing you know! It's not all my fault! Oh, mean Draco being mean. But no! She just doesn't like me anymore, I don't think."

Pansy smiled gently, "You were partners in the war, I would see her when you would go missing, she'd be terrified. She doesn't think of you as the bigoted little boy anymore, that much is for sure. She is probably just as confused about how she feels as you are."

Draco looked up, "But that's the thing, I mean. I'm not confused about how I feel about her. I just don't know what to do about it."

"I think you just need to be completely honest with her."

Draco's body tensed up at these words.

Pansy narrowed her eyes, "What?"

"I have been," he said, almost too softly to hear.

Pansy looked at him in surprise, "But you said you didn't tell her anything last night."

"Not last night. At the end of the war."

Pansy's mouth fell open and she was silent for a few seconds before exploding. "Merlin, you are an idiot."

Draco, sounding remarkably sober, hissed, "Excuse me?"

Ignoring Draco's temper, Pansy continued, almost to herself, "You told her right before she sent you down that cave to retrieve the last piece of that fucker's soul, didn't you?"

Draco, whose pale skin had gotten even paler, snapped, "So what if I did? It was practically a suicide mission, I wanted her to know before I ran out and did something stupid and Potter."

"Oh that's well and good Draco, but then what? You ignored her for weeks after the war, we were all so confused by it—"

"If she had wanted to say anything back, she would have."

"—and most of all her, she was so hurt, you could tell, even though she didn't say anything. She must have thought you didn't mean it, that it was just something you said in the heat of the moment—"

"She bloody well knew I meant it."

"—and when you ignored her, she must have figured you were just embarrassed. No wonder she started dating so furiously, she must have felt so rejected."

"She can't think that."

"She must."

Draco was breathing heavily at this point, his grey eyes darkening. "No, no. That's no…I told her, and she knows me. She knows that I wouldn't say I loved her if I didn't"

Pansy rolled her eyes, "Hermione Granger is a brilliant woman, but when it comes to being in love, she is as stupid as the rest of us. What could she do, but follow your lead?"


	2. Drinking Problems

**6:30**

_From: Ronald Weasley_

_To: Hermione Granger_

_CC: Harry Potter_

_Subject: Freedom!_

Hey…we're getting drunk tonight golden trio style, just found out Malfoy and Pansy went out for dinner, or will be going out, or something, and Gin is out with some girls from work. They all said they'd be back later, around 10. Meaning, if we start early, Pansy won't yell at me for drinking and Ginny won't be around to lead Harry around by the balls.

Harry and I'll get the stuff. Oh, and don't bring another bloke, I'm tired of meeting people Malfoy ends up scaring off. I'm getting their names all confused.

From: Hermione Granger To: Ronald Weasley 

_CC: Harry Potter_

_Subject: Re: Freedom!_

Oh, hahaha. He didn't scare him off. Him, or any of the others. He just likes to be horrid to people. He just picks on the guys I date because they're fresh meat. He is not intentionally trying to scare them off, you know. I mean; I know what you meant, and that it was a joke. I mean, I think it was funny, but you shouldn't say those sort of things because if you did say them, and in front of someone else, that person might get the wrong idea, like you were saying something else, you know? Hahahaha.

_From: Harry Potter_

_To: Hermione Granger_

_CC: Ronald Weasley _

_Subject: Re: Re: Freedom!_

Hermione, try not to hyperventilate over there, will you?

Ron, you're an ass. And don't say "golden trio style."

**8:00**

Hermione Granger had an enemy, a powerful enemy that few knew of. If you would see her enemy in a room, you might think that you'd have nothing to worry about. Indeed, dressed in white, Hermione's foe seems innocent, almost…tropical.

She wasn't deceived.

Hermione circled the table on which it lay, dormant for the time being. Her slow, measured steps barely made a—

"Hermione, its just rum."

Hermione glared at Ron, "No, it is not just rum Ronald. It is Malibu Coconut Rum."

Harry looked back and forth between Hermione and Ron, "Right…that's why we got it. Its all tropical, we thought you'd like it, being a woman and whatnot."

"Fool," Hermione hissed.

"Oh!" Ron slapped his hand against the table, "That's right, I forgot. This is the stuff you always get sick off of, right?

Hermione slouched down into the chair between the two boys, "In the morning, I can smell it in my toothpaste."

"In your toothpaste?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, in my toothpaste. I don't know why."

Ron rolled his eyes, "Listen, sorry I forgot. You want me to go get you something else? Store around the corner doesn't close for another hour or two."

Hermione waved her hand, "Oh, no, its fine. I just won't drink that much of it."

**8:30**

"You know, this stuff isn't as bad as I remembered."

**9:00**

"I can't believe we're drinking two nights in a row."

"You can't?"

"Well, I guess its not that hard to believe."

**9:30**

"I just…I mean, I love you guys."

"Hermione, put down the bottle."

"Ron, shhhhhh. This is funny. Unny."

"You remember when we were little kids and all we'd do was be invisible and play giant games of chess and meet three headed dogs?"

"That was only one year."

"Yeah, but it was so…oh dear..."

"Hermione, do not cry. Listen to me, it was not that much fun. I always got my ass kicked by a tree or something."

Harry raised his hand. Hermione and Ron looked at him in confusion.

"Um, yes?" Hermione called on Harry.

"I always defeated evil, that was definitely harder!"

"Show off." Hermione and Ron muttered together.

Harry's glasses were crooked and halfway off his nose, "Oh sure, now that the war is over, the hero thing is just so last year."

"What do you think Pansy and Draco talk about during their dinners?" Hermione waved her hands in front of her face, "I mean, what do you think they're talking about right this moment?"

Ron shrugged, "I don't know, Pansy muttered something about getting him drunk and finding out why the two of you aren't together."

Hermione blinked, "Really?"

"Yeah."

"Bitch." Hermione watched as Harry finished another drink, "Well, I guess that was nice of her."

Ron nodded his head, "Right, which is why you'll definitely appreciate that Harry and I decided to get you drunk tonight to ask you the same thing."

Hermione narrowed her eyes, "But you two are of equal or greater drunkenness than me."

Ron looked at Harry, who was currently swinging his head back and forth for no reason, "Well, one of us certainly is"

Hermione nodded, and in a stage whisper said, "I think its Harry."

Harry looked over, "Hey! What?"

"Nevermind Harry, she didn't say anything."

Pause.

Ron cleared his throat, "So, what's going on between you and the Ferret?"

"He insinuated stuff last night!"

Ron nodded sympathetically, "Was it about your hair?"

"No it wasn't about my hair. He doesn't insinuate things about my hair."

"Haaaair."

Ron looked over at Harry in alarm, "What the hell."

Harry buried his face in his arms on the table. "Sorry, it just thought it would be fun to say."

"He insinuated things about me and him. Him and me. Like there is a him in me." Hermione paused, and her eyes doubled in size, "I mean AND! Him and me!"

Harry laughed and fell out of his chair. Hermione and Ron leaned over to look at him, and as they did so, he curled up into a ball and made a "mer, mer" noise, before beginning to breathe heavily.

Ron looked over at Hermione and said, "Harry did not stick to the plan of the two of us staying more sober than you."

Hermione giggled, "Do you think we should get him a pillow or something?"

Ron shrugged, "He seems comfortable."

They looked over at Harry again before Hermione said, "I've never seen him pass out that fast."

"Yes you have, you just don't remember it. Why I'm always the most sober out of the two of you, I don't know."

"Because you're afraid of what Pansy will say."

"Yes, that could be the reason."

"She really has you whipped you know."

Ron grimmaced, "Listen, lets not wake him up, we'll go sit on the couch."

Once they had arranged themselves, and Hermione had found a pillow to hug, she began talking. "I mean, I know this is going to sound stupid, but I thought there was something between us during the war--"

"You mean you weren't having sex?"

"—what? No! But during the last battle he told me he loved me."

"What? No!"

"Yeah, but then he ignored me for a long time, and now all we do is argue."

Ron furrowed his eyebrows, "I've heard the two of you up late talking a bunch of times."

"Oh yeah, when we're alone we treat one another like real people, but the rest of the time. I don't know."

Ron nodded, "That's rough."

"No, what's rough is moving into a house and living in the room next to your ex, who has fantastic, loud sex and having to listen to it."

Ron's face turned red, "What the hell? I'm sorry, where did that come from. I'm trying to be a good friend and talk to you about Ferret face."

"Why are you mad at me, you got me drunk, its your fault what I say." Hermione's foot slipped and fell off the couch.

"I'm asking you about Malfoy!"

"I'm telling you about Malfoy!"

"No you're not, you're bitching about me and Pansy."

"I'm not bitching!"

Ron folded his arms and glared at her.

Hermione looked ready to keep on arguing with him until her shoulder slumped, "I'm sorry, I don't know why I said that. It's just hard being in this house with two couples and a guy who only shows any interest in me when I'm with someone else."

Ron's face softened, "Yeah, I know, sorry for yelling at you. Its weird for me to see the two of you together and know something is going on. I can't imagine what it'd be like living next to you two and listening to…stuff."

"Yeah, I didn't think it would bother me at all, and it usually doesn't, I mean, we were a wrong fit from the start. But sometimes…"

"Yeah, I get it."

"But you know, that wasn't what I was talking about this morning when I said I had had a long night."

"Huh?"

"At Breakfast. I said I had had a long night, and then Pansy apologized for your nasty noises, which I didn't even hear."

Ron winced, "Yeah, she liked to point out we have sex a lot in front of you."

"I've noticed."

"Its weird for her too, you know, living with my...well, you."

Hermione laughed, "I don't think she has anything to worry about. You seem pretty happy now."

Ron looked to the side, "Yeah, pretty happy."

Hermione looked at him for a moment before asking, "Have things gotten worse since we last talked?"

Ron shrugged, "The two of us are just so different. And it's not like us, how we were totally fine with screaming our heads off at one another, because we knew we'd always make up."

"You guys don't fight?"

"No, we do. Or she fights with me, and I sort of take it and does what she tells me to."

"That doesn't sound like you. Well, I mean, we've all seen that between the two of you, but I never liked that about your relationship."

"Yeah, I don't know, it just doesn't seem to matter."

Hermione was about to ask him more, but Ron cut her off, "But tell me about Malfoy. Would you pursue anything with him? I mean, is the weirdness you feel over him just because you feel awkward and a little confused over his actions, or is it because you're really interested."

Hermione paused a moment before speaking softly, "No, I'm definitely interested."

Ron smiled softly, "Wow, bad luck."

Hermione laughed before throwing her arms around Ron and kissing him on the cheek, "It is bad luck! I should have just stuck with you, as crappy as it was. This whole actually dating and finding someone right is exhausting."

Ron laughed too and rubbed her back before taking her chin and moving her face so he could look her in the eyes, "It certainly would have made things a lot easier, wouldn't it of?"

Hermione smiled, tears in her eyes and was about to say, "I think I'm in love with him," before Ron kissed her.

Then, she was about to say, "Oh god, no! Ew!" or even something mature like, "No Ron, you're drunk and depressed."

But she didn't.

The reason she didn't was standing right in front of her and was in the form of a crying Pansy Parkinson saying, "Ronald Weasley. What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Then, Hermione was about to say, "Pansy, I'm so sorry, I don't know what happened, we were just hugging and he is very drunk. I'm sure he didn't mean it, I sure as hell didn't expect it or want it."

But what stopped her from saying that was Draco jumping over a table to punch Ron in the face.

Sadly, "Oh no," was the only thing Hermione actually said.


End file.
